After Baba cooked the food, who performed the consecration ritual, and who were the first devotees to receive the Prasad?

Once Sai Baba finished cooking in the Handi and brought it into the Masjid, a specific ritual took place before general distribution. According to Chapter 38, Baba would have the "Fatya," or consecration prayer, formally offered by the hands of a Maulvi. This act blessed the food, turning it into Prasad. After this important step, the very first portions of the blessed food were sent to two specific devotees, Mhalasapati and Tatya. Only after they had received their share would Baba begin serving the remaining food to everyone else, particularly the poor and hungry.